Penn State Thumps Maryland, Advances to Big Ten Championship Game

The Nittany Lions reach their first Big Ten title game since 2016 with a big win over the Terps.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren makes a catch against the Maryland Terrapins during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Michigan did what Penn State couldn't, which means the Nittany Lions will go where Ohio State can't. No. 4 Penn State capitalized on a major Big Ten upset Saturday, thumping Maryland 44-7 to reach its second Big Ten championship game under head coach James Franklin.

The Nittany Lions won 11 regular-season games for the first time under Franklin and for the first time since 2008 but that loss ultimately didn't keep them from Indianapolis. Penn State went 4-0 following its 20-13 loss to Ohio State in October, which pressed the Buckeyes to the brink of a Big Ten championship-game rematch with Oregon. But the Wolverines changed the entire tenor of the Big Ten title race Saturday, beating Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus. The Wolverines kicked a field goal with 45 seconds left and then stopped Ohio State on fourth down to win their fourth consecutive game in the series.

Thus, Penn State took the field Saturday at Beaver Stadium needing a win to return to Lucas Oil for the first time since beating Wisconsin in Franklin's third season as head coach. This time, the Nittany Lions will face the top-ranked Ducks, who played Washington on Saturday night.

Penn State heads to Indianapolis with a bit of fire. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to freshman Tyseer Denmark as time expired, a rousing exclamation point to what Maryland coach Mike Locksley called a "fake rivalry."

The breakdown from Beaver Stadium.

How Penn State took control vs. the Terps

The Nittany Lions didn't begin the game with their best stuff. Running back Nicholas Singleton fumbled the opening snap, his first fumble of the season, and Maryland scored on its first play after the turnover. MJ Morris hit receiver Kaden Prather for a 25-yard touchdown, giving the Terps a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.

Penn State did not convert a first down until late in the first quarter, which it finished with 12 rushing yards. The running backs fumbled twice, though Kaytron Allen recovered his, and Allar completed just two of his first five passes. That would change.

The turning point

After giving up the first-play touchdown, Penn State's defense clamped down on the Terps, including a game-changing play. Maryland went for a 4th-and-short from its own 30-yard line, which the Nittany Lions absolutely swamped. Defensive end Abdul Carter, who had two sacks, made first contact, combining with safety Tyrece Mills for stop of no gain. The Nittany Lions scored three plays later on quarterback sneak by Allar from the 1-yard line to take a 17-7 lead.

Penn State scored touchdowns on four consecutive series in the first half, taking a 31-7 lead into halftime. Meanwhile, the defense absolutely headlocked Maryland, which finished the half with four punts, two interceptions and a turnover on downs following that fourth-down stop. Freshman safety Dejuan Lane punctuated the game with Penn State's third interception of the game late in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Warren adds to his sizzle reel

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren improvised another dazzling moment in the second quarter, leaping over a Maryland defender for another vintage moment. Warren leap over a Maryland defender on an impromptu pitch play from Drew Allar. This was vintage Warren for a gain of 29 yards.

Tyler Warren Hurdle 😳 @PennStateFball #B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork 📺 pic.twitter.com/rmpsyJreai

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 30, 2024

Warren played another phenomenal game, which included still more records. He caught a 7-yard touchdown from Allar in the second quarter to break Penn State's single-season record for tight ends with 17. He also completed a pass to Nicholas Singleton and drew a pass-interference penalty near the goal line that led to Penn State's first touchdown. Warren caught six passes for 68 yards and caried three times for 32.

Penn State converts three more 4th-and-1s

The Nittany Lions beat Minnesota last week by converting three 4th-and-1s, one on a fake punt, on its final series of the game. Against Maryland, Penn State jumpstarted a sluggishadded two more in the first half against the Terps, making it five straight. Allar generated first downs with a pair of sneaks that led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Singleton. Penn State also converted a 4th-and-1 in the third quarter and went 3-for-3 on the day.

Singleton bounces back

The running back's first fumble of the season didn't deter him. In fact, it seemed to make him angry. Singleton took his next touch 66 yards for his longest kickoff return of the year, setting up a Ryan Barker field goal, and finished with 170 all-purpose yards. He scored two touchdowns, one on a lively 18-yard run in the second half.

Noteworthy

Carter was brilliant, finishing with six tackles and two sacks and making life miserable for Morris, Maryland's quarterback. The Nittany Lions finished with five sacks.

Kicker Ryan Barker made a career-long 49-yard field goal in the first quarter to get Penn State on the scoreboard. But Maryland blocked his 53-yard attempt just before halftime, marking the second blocked kick against Penn State in two weeks. Minnesota blocked an extra point last week.

Penn State's defense finished the regular season without allowing a touchdown in the third quarter. The Nittany Lions outscored opponents 97-15 in the third quarter this season.

Up next

Penn State will meet Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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